A Nasik court on Thursday arrested the owners of a private factory in Nasik, where a blast had killed 21 workers, and later released them on bail.

The blast in the private company, Premier Explochem Ltd, engaged in making explosives, on May 5 at village Harsule near Nasik had also injured five other workers.

The two owners -- T L Kalia and Mukesh Maheshwari -- both hailing from Rajasthan, were arrested on Wednesday and produced before a court in Sinnar. The court granted them bail.

However, the court ordered them to deposit their passports with the police and asked them to visit the local police station for specific time on every alternate day, the police added.

The police on May 11 had booked six persons -- four owners and two managers of the factory -- for culpable homicide and under provisions of the Explosives Act. The two managers are also currently on bail.